4 ms·

M3 Pro user here, agree with the same points. It's nice to be able to actually have your laptop on your lap, without burning your legs.

mh- 2y ago
Hey, I can have my Intel MBP on my lap without burning my legs (or making me feel nauseated). As long as I don't open Chrome, Safari, Apple Notes, or really any other app...
- Etheryte 2y ago
  Sometimes even not opening any apps is not enough if Spotlight decides that now is the time to update its index or something similar. Honestly nuts looking back at it.
  - 0x457 2y ago
    I remember when macOS switched to evented way of handling input and for some reason decided that dropping keyboard events is okay...anyway if spotlight was updating its index, then unlocking your laptop with a password was impossible.
_hyn3 2y ago
ARM processors have always been good at handling heat and low power (like AWS Graviton), but what laptop did you have before that would overheat that much during normal usage? That seems like a very poor design.
- ddingus 2y ago
  My 2010 i7 MBP would do that under heavy loads. All aluminum body, with fans, and when that CPU really had to work it put out a lot of heat. Compiling gcc multi thread a few times would be enough.
  - MBCook 2y ago
    Not only that, they seemed to get hotter with each subsequent generation. My 2015 could get hotter than my 2010. I think my work 2019 gets hotter still. I think the Intels were hotter than my G4, but it’s been too long and the performance jump was worth it. Got an M1 Air, it blows them all out of the water (even 2019, others aren’t a surprise). And it does it fanless, as opposed to emulating a jet engine. And if you really push it, it gets pleasantly warm. Not possibly-burn-inducingly hot.
    - ddingus 2y ago
      My experience is the same. I only owned one Intel MacBook Pro. Was the only one I needed thankfully. Missed the whole port reduction and power bar mess. I love my M1 Air. It is the first general purpose computing hardware that felt like a real advance. I measured that two ways: How much closer to my mobile is it? How much faster is it? The Air feels like a Mobile Computer if that makes any sense. One USB port expander to serve as a dock of sorts later and it makes for a great desktop experience. When using it on the go, it has that light, powerful feel much like running my phone does. Great machine. It is easily my favorite computer Apple has ever made, 8 bit greatness and an older age aside.
      - MBCook 2y ago
        Same. Easily the best computer I’ve owned in the last 25 years in terms of satisfaction/niceness.
        ddingus 2y ago
        People really like that machine. Mine is sticky. As in when others get hold of it, next thing I hear is usually, "oooh" and then it takes some time for it to come back! I got mine for a song. Sweet deal, but it is the 8GB 256GB configuration. Not too big of a deal, but more internal storage would be nice. Maybe I will send it out somewhere to get a boost. Would have already, but I worry a little about those services.
- mistrial9 2y ago
  anything that pegged the CPU for extended periods of time, caused many Apple laptop models to overheat. There is some design tradeoff about power specs, cooling, "typical workloads" and other things.. A common and not-new example of heat-death-workload was video editing..
- renewiltord 2y ago
  I’d place my top of the line Intel Mac on my feet to warm them and then bend over and write code while sitting on my chair.
- ponector 2y ago
  I had a MBP 2019 which with default fan settings was really hot from the 1h videocall in Bluejeans. Or 5 minutes navigating in Google maps and street view in Chrome. Only solution was to increase fan speed profile to max rpm.
  - MBCook 2y ago
    On my 2019, if a single process hits 100% of one core the fan becomes quite noticeable (not hairdryer though) and the top of the keyboard area where the CPU is gets rather toasty. It’s way too easy to heat up.
- alemanek 2y ago
  2019 16” i9 MacBook Pro. These days it has to be on a laptop cooler when I push it so that it won’t turn itself off due to the heat.
- antifa 2y ago
  > but what laptop did you have before that would overheat that much during normal usage? That's pretty much all Intel laptops I've owned since 2007.
_dain_ 2y ago
you still shouldn't have it on your lap though. it's bad for your posture.
- theshackleford 2y ago
  Not for everyone. It turns out by following standard ergonomic guidelines I was doing more damage. I have to actually look way down at monitors, even on my desk. It has to be well below eye height, basically slammed.

mh- 2y ago

Hey, I can have my Intel MBP on my lap without burning my legs (or making me feel nauseated). As long as I don't open Chrome, Safari, Apple Notes, or really any other app...

Etheryte 2y ago
Sometimes even not opening any apps is not enough if Spotlight decides that now is the time to update its index or something similar. Honestly nuts looking back at it.
- 0x457 2y ago
  I remember when macOS switched to evented way of handling input and for some reason decided that dropping keyboard events is okay...anyway if spotlight was updating its index, then unlocking your laptop with a password was impossible.

_hyn3 2y ago

ARM processors have always been good at handling heat and low power (like AWS Graviton), but what laptop did you have before that would overheat that much during normal usage? That seems like a very poor design.

ddingus 2y ago
My 2010 i7 MBP would do that under heavy loads. All aluminum body, with fans, and when that CPU really had to work it put out a lot of heat. Compiling gcc multi thread a few times would be enough.
- MBCook 2y ago
  Not only that, they seemed to get hotter with each subsequent generation. My 2015 could get hotter than my 2010. I think my work 2019 gets hotter still. I think the Intels were hotter than my G4, but it’s been too long and the performance jump was worth it. Got an M1 Air, it blows them all out of the water (even 2019, others aren’t a surprise). And it does it fanless, as opposed to emulating a jet engine. And if you really push it, it gets pleasantly warm. Not possibly-burn-inducingly hot.
  - ddingus 2y ago
    My experience is the same. I only owned one Intel MacBook Pro. Was the only one I needed thankfully. Missed the whole port reduction and power bar mess. I love my M1 Air. It is the first general purpose computing hardware that felt like a real advance. I measured that two ways: How much closer to my mobile is it? How much faster is it? The Air feels like a Mobile Computer if that makes any sense. One USB port expander to serve as a dock of sorts later and it makes for a great desktop experience. When using it on the go, it has that light, powerful feel much like running my phone does. Great machine. It is easily my favorite computer Apple has ever made, 8 bit greatness and an older age aside.
    - MBCook 2y ago
      Same. Easily the best computer I’ve owned in the last 25 years in terms of satisfaction/niceness.
      - ddingus 2y ago
        People really like that machine. Mine is sticky. As in when others get hold of it, next thing I hear is usually, "oooh" and then it takes some time for it to come back! I got mine for a song. Sweet deal, but it is the 8GB 256GB configuration. Not too big of a deal, but more internal storage would be nice. Maybe I will send it out somewhere to get a boost. Would have already, but I worry a little about those services.
mistrial9 2y ago
anything that pegged the CPU for extended periods of time, caused many Apple laptop models to overheat. There is some design tradeoff about power specs, cooling, "typical workloads" and other things.. A common and not-new example of heat-death-workload was video editing..
renewiltord 2y ago
I’d place my top of the line Intel Mac on my feet to warm them and then bend over and write code while sitting on my chair.
ponector 2y ago
I had a MBP 2019 which with default fan settings was really hot from the 1h videocall in Bluejeans. Or 5 minutes navigating in Google maps and street view in Chrome. Only solution was to increase fan speed profile to max rpm.
- MBCook 2y ago
  On my 2019, if a single process hits 100% of one core the fan becomes quite noticeable (not hairdryer though) and the top of the keyboard area where the CPU is gets rather toasty. It’s way too easy to heat up.
alemanek 2y ago
2019 16” i9 MacBook Pro. These days it has to be on a laptop cooler when I push it so that it won’t turn itself off due to the heat.
antifa 2y ago
> but what laptop did you have before that would overheat that much during normal usage? That's pretty much all Intel laptops I've owned since 2007.

_dain_ 2y ago

you still shouldn't have it on your lap though. it's bad for your posture.

theshackleford 2y ago
Not for everyone. It turns out by following standard ergonomic guidelines I was doing more damage. I have to actually look way down at monitors, even on my desk. It has to be well below eye height, basically slammed.